Excavating apparatus



April 5, 1932. A. ORLOFF EXCAVATING APPARATUS Filed May 13. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Eu .0 2 Q \llllllll Filed May 15, 1 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Zjwwzwkw W 90% Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES ARTHUR ORLOFF, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T NORTHWEST ENGINEER- ING CORPORATION, OFGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF -WISCO1\TSIN EXCAVATING APPARATUS Application filed. May 13,

The invention relates to excavating machines and more particularly to machines of the type known as pull shovels, trench hoes or back diggers.

In machines of this type usually the hoisting means is separate from the means employed for moving the dipper inwardly toward the boom. One object of the present invention is to provide a novel arrangement of cable controls for the boom and dipper, whereby the hoisting cable may function as a drag or digging cable. One of the advantages of this arrangement is that in digging in soft material the weight of the boom, dipper and dipper handle upon the teeth may be relieved by producing a tension in the drag cable which imposes a movement tending to raise the boom, and a further advantage of the arrangement hereinafter described is any 0 suitable intermediate adjustment of this movement and hence a varying of the digging intensity to suit the requirements of the work.

Another advantage of this invention is in the controllability of the dipper throwingout function. It is common knowledge that existing pull shovels employ the boom-hoisting cable as a means of throwing the dipper and its handle outwardly. Inasmuch as the tension of the boom hoist cable does not vary to a great extent from the highest position of the boom to its lowest position when raising it out of a trench, it may be stated that the tension of the cable throwing the dipper outwardly is practically constant. However, the required tensionfor throwing out the dipper should vary with the depth of trench, being a maximum at the ground level or above it and decreasing as the depth of trench is 4 increased. From the geometry of the pull shovel it is evident that the angular displacement of the dipper handle with respect to the boom will increase as the boom is lowered in attaining a greater depth of trench.

' 4 Therefore, when a dipper stick is constructed with a proper leverage for ground level con ditions it is found necessary to interpose between the boom and dipper handle some shock-dampening means or ratio-changing so devices. Necessity for the above mentioned 1229. Serial No. 362,742. I

mechanical devices is apparent when it is realized-that in lowering :the boom,'dipper and handle into the trench it is common practicev for operators to release the drag drum 7 brake and let the drag cable spin out with little or no control over it The. dipper throw-out means of the present invention is radically dilferent'in that it is clutch-operated and permits the operator'to extend the dipper and stick to its extended. position'beyond the boom, While lowered slowly and under perfect control. This action is especially desirable when cleaning the bottom of a trench prior to placement of piping.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more particularly; defined by claims at the conclusion hereof. Z

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation view of an excavator embodying the invention, showing the parts in different operating positions;

Fig. 2 is a view of the'excavator showing the boom in a horizontal position, parts be carrying the dipper 12 provided with dig-' ging teeth 13 and movable toward the machine during digging. v r

The boom is supported through association therewith of two cables 14: and 15 with the shear leg 16 which is held in proper position by a cable 17 connecting it with asuitable anchorage 18 on the machine.

The cable 14 is both a hoisting and drag cable and extends from the drag drum 19 over a shiftable sheave 20, thence around a sheave 21 pivotally mounted adjacent the outer end portion of the boom, thence back 1 around sheave 22 pivotally mounted upon the boom, intermediate its ends, and then to a pivotal dead end 23 on the dipper.

The sheave 20 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 24 carried in a block 25 slidably mounted on the shear leg 16, a stop 26 limiting the upward movement of the block 25. A sheave 28 is pivotally mounted on the shaft 27 carried by said block and a pair of sheaves 29 and 30 are mounted on a pin or shaft 31 at the upper end-of the shear leg.

their operation. a

' Assuming the boom to be in substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 2, and the dipper and its stick extended in the position shown, hoisting is effected in the following manner: The clutch for drum 32 is thrown in, thus placing a tension in the cable 15 and causingit tobe wound in, thus draw ing the two sheaves 20 and 28 upward with the block 25 decreasing the length of the bight in this position of the cable, which operation may be continued until the two sheaves reach the upper position shown in Fig. 1. With the two sheaves 20 and 28 held in this position, a tension on cable 14, obtained by winding in on drag drum 19, will obviously effect a raising of the boom.

The two sheaves 20 and 28 may be held in the bottom position, shown in Fig. 2, or the top position, shown in full in Fig. 1, or any position intermediate these two by braking on the dipper throw out drum 32.

The above hoisting operation can also be carried out with the dipper and dipper stick in the indrawn position C in precisely the same manner. In this latter position the end 7 of the hoisting operation would leave the dipper and dipper handle in the upper, dotted line position B, that is, in a position from which to start the operation for dumpmg.

To effect dumping, with the two sheaves 20 and 28in their upper position against stop 26 and the dipper in the dotted line position B, the drum 32 is rotated to wind in on cable 15, thus shortening said cable, which causes the dipper and dipper handle to move outwardly until the solid line position A is attained. Simultaneously with the drawing in of cable 15 the brake on drag drum 19 is released, allowing cable 14 to pay out an amount relative to the distance that cable 15 is wound in.

lVith the tension on cable 14 released, the dipper and dipper stick, in extended position relative to the boom, may be lowered into the trench by allowing cable 14 to pay out, thus lowering the boom to the position shown in full line in Fig. 1, with the dipper in dotted lines in position D. Then by pulling in on the cable 14 the dipper and dipper handle will swing inwardly toward the boom to perform its digging operation and under these conditions the movement of the boom upon the dipper may lee-counteracted by the hoisting effect of the cable 14, this effect being greateror smaller, depending upon the position of the two sheaves 20 and 28. It is also to be noted that the throwing out of the dipper handle relative to the boom is under the control of drum 32 and is accomplished by throwing in the clutch to rotate said drum.

hat I claim as my invention is:

.1. In a pull shovel, the combination of a boom mounted for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging. a. cable for moving the dip-per and its handle outwardly, a cable for moving said dipper and its handle inwardly and havinga portion connected with the boom for exerting a hoisting effect on the booth at any time during the digging cycle, and shiftable supporting means for that portion of said last named cable connected with the boom for varying the intensity of hoisting effort of said last named cable at any time during the digging cycle.

2. In a pull shovel, the combination of a boom mounted for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the boom and carrying a dipper workingtoward the boom during digging, a cable for moving said dipper and its handle outwardly, a cable for moving said dipper and its handle inwardly and connected with the boom for exerting a hoisting effort on the boom, and

means under the control of said first-named cable for varying the intensity of hoisting etfort of said second cable.

3. In a pull shovel, the combination of a boom mounted for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging, a cable for moving said dipper and its handle outwardly, a drag cable for moving said dipper and its iandle, inwardly and connected with the boom, :1. shiittable support for said drag cable whereby said drag cable through its connection with the boom' exerts a hoisting effort on said boom, said shiftable support. being controlled by said first-named cable.

4. In a pull shovel. the combination of a base, boom mounted thereon for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging, a drag drum on said base, a drag cable extending from said drum to and connected with the outer portion of the boom and operatively connected to the dipper for moving said dipper inwardly, and means forming a bight in that section of the cable between said drum and the outer portion of the boom, whereby said cable through its connection with the boom exerts a hoisting effort on said boom.

5. In a pull shovel, the combination of a base, a boom mounted thereon for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the outer end portion ofthe boom and carrying a dipper working toward "the boo-m during digging, a drag drum on said base, a drag cable extending from said drum to the outer portion of the boom and operatively connected to the boom and to the clipperfor moving it inward-1y, shiftable cable guide means forming a bight in that section of the cable between said drum and the outer portion of the boom, whereby said cable through its connection with the boom exerts a hoisting effort on said boom, and another cable for shifting said guide means and associated with the dipper handle for swinging the dipper outwardly.

6. In a pull shovel, the combination with the supporting frame, of a boom mounted thereon for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the outer end portion of the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging, a reciprocating cable support mounted on said frame, a drag cable passing over said support to the outer portion of the boom, thence rearwardly and thence to the dipper, a second cable having a bight for carrying said support and passing therefrom to said frame, thence to a point adjacent the inner end of the boom and thence to the dipper handle, and separately controlled drums for said cables.

7. In a pull shovel, the combination with the supporting frame, of a boom mounted thereon for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the outer end portion of the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging, a pair of sheaves mounted on said frame, a reciprocating support mounted on said frame and carrying a pair of sheaves, sheaves on the outer and intermediate portions of said boom, a drag cable passing over one of the sheaves on said support, thence over the sheave on the outer end of the boom, thence over the sheave on the intermediate portion of the boom and thence to the dipper, a sheave adjacent the lower end of the boom, a cable passing over one of the sheaves on said frame around the other sheave on said support, over the other sheave on said frame, around the sheave adjacent the lower end of the boom and thence to the dipper handle for swinging said handle outwardly and also moving said support, and separately controlled drums for said cables.

8. In a pull shovel, the combination of a base, a boom mounted on said base for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected to the outer end portion of the boom, a dipper on said handle working toward the boom during digging, a drum on said base, a cable on sand drum passing first to the outer end portion of said boom and thence to an intermediate portion of the boom and thence to said dipper handle for raising said boom and moving said dipper handle inwardly, and a separately controlled cable for moving the dipper and its handle outwardly beyond the boom.

9. In a pull shovel, the combination of a Y boom mounted for up and down movements, a dipper handle pivotally connected with the boom and carrying a dipper working toward the boom during digging, a cable for moving the dipper and its handle outwardly, a cable for moving said dipper and its handle inwardly and connected with the boom for exerting a hoisting effort on the boom at any time during the digging cycle, a support, and a shiftable cable hanger including a sheave carrying said last named cable and shiftable along said support for varying the intensity of hoisting effort of said last named cable.

In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature.

, ARTHUR'ORLOFF. 

